


Love is Magic

by LobsterMobster



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Cuddles, Dorks in Love, F/M, Kisses, Post Season 3, Rayllum, Slight spoilers for Callum's Spellbook, Timeskip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-30
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:01:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23400499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LobsterMobster/pseuds/LobsterMobster
Summary: Aaravos is gaining followers across Xadia while Callum is struggling to connect to the sixth and final arcanum - the stars. When he and Rayla travel to the Shiverglades, he finally has the breakthrough he's been looking for. But the stars have more in store for him than he was expecting.
Relationships: Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 23
Kudos: 152





	Love is Magic

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, so it's been a while. Let me begin by saying that I am absolutely continuing with my other stories, so no need to worry there. I started off by taking a bit of a break to let some writer's block pass, but unfortunately when all that was said and done, everything with the virus started kicking up and work became incredibly busy. So it's taken me a little while to get back into the groove of writing. 
> 
> With all that being said, this is an idea that I've been trying to write since November (I probably have 3 or 4 scrapped versions of it at this point) and it was a fun project to work on just to get my Rayllum brain working again. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!

Callum waited, inhaling and exhaling deeply as he kept his eyes pointed upward. Above him, the sky was alight with magnificent waves of light that weaved their way between the stars.

The first night he and Rayla had spent together in Xadia nearly four years ago, he’d marveled at the fact that the night sky in such a magical place looked the same as it did over Katolis. But since they’d come to the Siverglades, he’d begun to see just how much magic was really up there. 

If only he could figure out how to tap into some of that magic himself. 

It was no secret that Aaravos was continuing to gain followers in the Far Reaches and Callum was currently in possession of the one object that could give the ancient archmage all the power he needed to overthrow Xadia and the human kingdoms. And that was precisely why Callum had to unlock the key first. 

He’d managed to forge a connection with five primal sources, simultaneously illuminating each of the runes on the cube. Only the star rune remained dark, though it wasn’t for lack of trying. He’d spent every night for the last month sitting awake in the glow of the starlight waiting for something to click, but so far, he’d gained nothing but dark circles under his eyes. 

That was the whole reason they’d trekked as far north as they possibly could through the snow and ice to reach the star nexus. Rayla had told him it was at the peak of a peninsula where giant bergs of ice could be seen floating off the coastline and where ribbons of colorful starlight whirled through the night sky like rivers of green and blue. 

It was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. 

Callum took a second to glance behind him and back down the hill where Rayla was surely asleep by now beside their roaring fire. 

Yeah, the sky was definitely only the _second_ most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. He chuckled a little as he pulled his jacket tighter against the frigid breeze. He would find a way to make this work, even if it was the last thing he did. 

Afterall, he only had to forge a deep magical connection to the ancient balls of light and fire a million miles away - no problem. Callum groaned, flinging himself backward into the snow, the cold jogging his mind back toward the task at hand. 

“I can do this, I can do this,” he whispered to himself, watching as the white clouds of his breath drifted upward before dispersing among the stars. 

The star arcanum is all about timelessness and sight, according to the few star texts he’d been able to get his hands on, plus Rayla’s limited knowledge. 

So, for what felt like the millionth time, Callum did his best to clear his mind and think about what the stars might see as they looked down on the world. He imagined watching from a bird’s-eye view as he, Rayla and Ezran returned Zym to Xadia. He imagined watching as he and Rayla continued exploring the lands of Xadia as he connected to the other primal sources. He imagined watching them as they were now - camped out in the snow for the fourth night in a row, hoping that Callum would have a breakthrough. 

Inhale. Exhale. He could do this. He could do this. 

After laying in quiet meditation for a few more minutes, Callum opened his eyes, not entirely sure what to expect, but sighing when he saw the same frozen hilltop he’d been sitting on for the last two hours, still overlooking the same frigid sea. 

It was difficult to forge a connection to an arcanum that was so obscure and abstract. It was easier to feel connected when he could feel the wind caress his cheeks, the heat from the sun scorching the back of his neck, the waves lapping at his legs or the earth beneath his feet. The only other source that had given him similar trouble was the moon, but thankfully he'd had one very special reminder of the moon wherever he went.

Callum’s heart gave a little jolt. Even after almost four years together, Rayla still made him feel as lovesick as that night they’d spent on the back of Nyx’s ambler in the Midnight Desert. 

He smiled as he let his eyes drift close once again, relishing the memory of that night. He remembered how hard his heart had pounded when he realized that he’d actually kissed her, followed by the most overwhelming feeling of relief he’d ever experienced when she’d pulled him in, kissing him back. 

His memory shifted to their visit to Katolis for last year’s celebration marking the anniversary of the Battle of the Storm Spire. He and Rayla had snuck away to a table near the doors to the balcony, where the breeze and the moonlight could both filter over them. That was the night he’d given Rayla her horn cuff - a tradition she’d told him was on par with a human proposal. The second cuff was given during the wedding itself.

Rayla had known it was coming - after all he hadn’t been terribly tactful when he’d asked her how moonshadow elves proposed marriage. She’d blushed and told him, mumbling afterward that if he were to give her a set of cuffs, she’d want them to have gemstones that matched the color of his eyes. 

So that’s what he’d done. Ethari had been more than happy to craft the cuffs for him and even Runnan had given his blessing, his fondness for Callum reaching something similar to that of a grumpy uncle since he’d helped release him and Rayla’s parents from their coin prisons.

Now, Callum couldn’t wait for the day when the war was over and he finally got to give her the second cuff. That would be the day they started the rest of their lives together.

As Callum continued dreaming about the future, he began to hear a faint ringing beginning in his ears. He rubbed at his closed eyes and took a deep breath, thinking perhaps their elevation was to blame, but still the sound persisted. Callum frowned as the sharp sound reverberated through his head and began sending stabs of pain shooting through his temples. 

“Ugh!” Callum exclaimed, bringing his hands to his head as the pain ignited the frustration that had already been building inside him. His eyes flew open as he fully intended to abandon his efforts for the night, now completely unable to concentrate. 

However, when he looked around, Callum no longer saw the snowy trees of the Shiverglades. Instead, all he saw was the night sky. 

But something was wrong. 

The shimmering waves of colorful light had vanished and the moon was nowhere to be seen. All he could see was a vast sea of stars. Callum felt the sensation of hollowness as his heart dropped from his chest. He looked to his left and right and still all he saw was the expanse of the night sky. Everything was gone.

He struggled to his feet, his heart racing in his throat. 

“No, no, no,” he said as he spun around. But there was nothing to see. There was no hillside, no icebergs, no campsite and no-”

“Rayla!” Callum shouted into the void around him, frantically looking around for any sign of her. “Rayla, where are y-ahh!”

Callum’s words were replaced with a cry of pain as the ringing in his ears returned with even more force. It became a shrieking wail that tore through his skull. He dropped back to his knees, crying out as he clutched his head. 

What had he done so wrong? Or was this what happened when a human tried to connect to the star arcanum? Would it simply tear him apart from the inside out? The sound and the pain continued to grow in intensity as tears streamed down his cheeks and he thought his head would surely burst. 

He didn’t want to die this way. He wanted to put a stop to all the fighting. He wanted to see Ezran grow into the amazing king he knew he would be. He wanted to be with Rayla.

He wanted this to stop. 

Then, as suddenly as it appeared, the ringing did indeed stop, leaving Callum alone and sobbing among the perpetual nothingness. 

“R-Rayla,” he managed to whimper as he fought to catch his breath. He had to find her, or at least find a way to reach out to her. They could figure this out together, they always did. 

When Rayla had jumped through the portal at the moon nexus, she’d almost become lost in the world between life and death. In the end, Callum had called out after her, begging her to come back to him. And she’d heard him. The moment she’d resurfaced, Callum had sprinted into the lake, pulling her to him as he cried and kissed every inch of her face. 

They were a team, and they’d always fight to get back to each other. So that’s what he was going to do. 

Callum got to his feet once again, stumbling a little as the residual pain in his head threw off his balance. He wiped his eyes on his sleeve and took a moment to gather a few, deep lungfuls of air.

He began to walk.

He wasn’t sure how far he would have to go, or even if he was heading in a straight line. To him, it looked like he was walking in place, surrounded by the infiniteness of the cosmos. 

It began to remind him of what he’d gone through to connect to the sky arcanum - lost in the poison of dark magic until he somehow stumbled his way into the furthest reaches of his mind. He didn’t really remember how long he’d walked back then either. 

Callum tried to count the steps he was taking, but lost track somewhere around 2,000. He tried to find any familiar constellations among the stars, but it was like they’d been pulled from an entirely different sky. He’d find it fascinating if he wasn’t terrified that he was going to die wandering around this place. 

It wasn’t until what felt like hours later that Callum finally caught sight of something different among the landscape. At first he thought it was just another star but as he approached, he saw instead that it was the long, white hair of a moonshadow elf standing among the night sky. 

“Rayla!” He called out as he started to run, a smile of relief spreading across his face before he could help himself. But it fell from his lips almost immediately as he got closer. Her back was turned to him but he could see that her hair was too long and she was wearing a loose red tunic rather than the fur-lined winter clothing Rayla had been wearing the last time he’d seen her. 

But even if she wasn’t Rayla, she was still the only other person he’d seen in this hellish landscape.

“Excuse me, miss? Can you help me? I’m trying to get out of here - wherever ‘here’ is,” he said. When she didn’t respond, Callum reached a hand out to tap her shoulder but he paused as he got a closer look at her horns, and more specifically, the cuffs that were wrapped around them. 

He’d know Rayla’s horns anywhere, and he’d spent almost every spare minute of the last year dreaming of the day when she’d wear both of his cuffs just like this. 

“Rayla?” He asked, glancing around to catch a look of her face. What he saw brought his brain to a screeching halt. 

It _was_ Rayla, but she was different. She looked to be at least three years older than her current self - the lines of her face sharp with maturity and the curves of her body more defined.

She was stunning, Callum thought immediately as his cheeks began to heat up. He always thought she was beautiful, of course, but seeing her even further into adulthood sent a very distracting wave of desire through his body. 

‘Wow,’ he couldn’t help but think.

But even as he stood there, gaping at her like an idiot, the older Rayla stood still as ever, her eyes focused on some unseen point far off in the distance. Callum tried to wave a hand in front of her face but she didn’t so much as blink in his direction. 

“Rayla?” He asked again. “Can you hear me? Or see me? Or anything?”

Suddenly he watched as her eyes lit up and a smile began to bloom on her lips. 

Callum smiled too. “Hey,” he said with relief in his voice. “There you...are?” But he realized that she still wasn’t looking at him, she was looking over his shoulder.

Callum turned to follow her gaze and jolted as he found his own face staring back at him. The young man approaching was without-a-doubt Callum himself, but like Rayla, he was inexplicably older. His hair was cut shorter than he’d ever worn it before but he had a thin beard growing along a jawline that looked far too defined to be his own. He spotted the mage wing runes on his arms, but instead of paint, they’d been traced with moonshadow tattoo ink. He also couldn’t help but notice that his arms themselves looked far more muscular than their current state. 

Was it possible to be jealous of himself?

Callum watched with wide eyes as his older self approached Rayla and brought one hand up to cup her face before pulling her into a searing kiss. 

Callum felt his blush deepen. He and Rayla were no strangers to intimacy; they both craved touch like it was water, but something about witnessing their ministrations as a bystander was incredibly weird. He began contemplating turning around all together when his older self’s hand drifted down to the older Rayla’s waist and began to rub gentle circles through the fabric of her tunic. 

But the motion drew Callum’s attention to something about the older Rayla that he’d failed to notice until now. The tunic she wore was not just red, it was Katolis scarlet with a gold hem, and his older self’s hand was currently pulling the fabric taut over her stomach, where Callum caught sight of a small but unmistakable swell in her belly. 

Callum’s brain stopped working entirely.

“I...I’v-she...th-there,” Callum began to babble as the scene continued to play out in front of him, the older counterparts pulling apart to speak to each other, though he couldn’t seem to hear the words escaping from their lips. 

Callum’s eyes stayed glued to Rayla’s middle, where the tunic once again hid the tiny bump. He and Rayla had discussed the possibility of having a family. Kids were something Callum had always wanted, and Rayla had slowly grown more fond of the idea herself. Though she’d made it abundantly clear that it wouldn’t be happening for a while, which he was more than fine with.

But to see her here like this, the child that was presumably his growing just beneath her tunic, it took his breath away. He stayed silent as his older self caressed the spot on her belly fondly for a moment before taking her hand and pulling her away. 

Callum’s own hand twitched and reached out without his permission, his heart clenching. Yeah, it was definitely possible to be jealous of himself. 

“Wait,” he called to their retreating backs as their figures slowly started to fade away into the stars. “Don’t go, please.” But just like that, Callum was alone once again. 

His heart felt simultaneously more empty and more full than it had when he’d just been wandering aimlessly. He desperately wanted to get back to Xadia. He had no idea if what he’d just seen had anything to do with connecting to the star arcanum, but right now he just wanted to hold Rayla close and let himself imagine how one day they might have the family he ached for. 

“The stars have truly gifted their sight to a human then,” an unknown voice suddenly said, the baritone echoing around him. 

Callum’s head shot around until he saw the source of the voice - easily the most regal looking elf he’d ever encountered. His skin twinkled even brighter than the stars that circled around him. His hair was the color of Duren plums and flowed over broad shoulders that held a billowy cape. His horns were huge and elaborate, curving around to frame his pale face and bright, solid blue eyes. 

“What an interesting creature you must be,” the elf said, his voice stretching to fill the space with ease.

A bubble of anxiety began expanding in Callum’s gut. He’d only ever seen one other startouch elf in his life, and he hadn’t left the best impression. Not to mention that this elf was large, easily seven feet tall with his crown-like horns. Callum began silently considering his options, trying to remember which runes seemed to have the largest effect on Aaravos the last time they met. 

“You don’t want to do that, boy,” the elf said, nodding in the direction of Callum’s hand, which had begun twitching in preparation to draw a rune. 

“Who are you?” Callum asked as he tucked his hands into his pockets and tried to keep his voice from breaking. 

The elf smiled slightly and took a few steps forward. Callum held firm, resisting the urge to move backward in time with his steps. 

“I am Astraeus, keeper of the star nexus,” he said evenly. 

Callum’s eyes widened. “Is that what this place is? This is the real star nexus?”

Astraeus nodded. 

“And what I just saw, that was…?”

“A gift from the stars themselves,” Astraeus said. “My people call it ‘Cosmic Vision.’”

“Cosmic Vision,” Callum repeated, wracking his memory for any mention of the phrase in any of the books he’d read, but he couldn’t recall a thing. 

Apparently sensing his confusion, Astraeus continued. “The stars have the power to see things as they are, as they have been and how they may come to pass. When a startouch elf is born, a star gifts them with some of that sight. Needless to say, there has never been a human recipient before. But I suppose you’re used to being the center of such anomalies by now, aren’t you, Callum?”

Callum’s mouth went dry. “How do you know my name?”

Astraeus’ smile widened. “You and your companions have appeared in my vision many times.”

Well that was unnerving. At least he didn’t seem to be hostile. Callum had a feeling that if Astraeus wanted to hurt him, he could have done it in about a thousand different ways by now. 

“Does this mean I’m connected to the star arcanum?” Callum asked. 

Astraeus nodded. “You shall have everything you need when you leave this place.”

“So you can help me get out of here?” Callum asked, hopeful. 

Astraeus eyed him appraisingly for a moment, his brow creasing slightly as he looked him over. “Yes,” he eventually said. “But first I have a question for you.”

Callum steeled himself, preparing for whatever might be about to happen. “Alright,” he said, squaring his shoulders.

“Tell me,” Astraeus asked. “Do you know who your father was, boy?”

Callum was sure the dumbfounded look on his face immediately negated any confidence he’d been trying to convey. “My-my father?” He replied, the confusion thick in his voice. “My father was King Harrow of K-”

“Not the man who raised you,” Astraeus interrupted. “I am referring to the man who bore half the responsibility for your creation.”

Callum hesitated, completely disarmed by the question. “He was a painter from a little village near the border between Katolis and Xadia. He met my mother when she became general of the army stationed at the Breach.”

Astraeus’ expression morphed into one of satisfaction and amusement. “Interesting. Very interesting,” he said in a cool rumble. 

Callum frowned. “What does my birth father have to do with anything? Please I’m just trying to get out of here, I need to get back to my...my friend.” He winced at the stutter in his voice.

“In a way, everything,” Astraeus said. “The stars see everything: life, death, creation, destruction. One’s heritage is the thread that binds that tapestry together. You can’t tell me that the youngling you saw growing in your moonshadow...friend, wouldn’t be curious about their parentage, would you?”

Callum felt the return of his blush like a harsh slap against his cheeks. “I-I don’t know-what I-what?” He stammered. 

Astraeus began to chuckle. “Humans are indeed a marvel. Cold and brash as you may be, your kind is still so easily flustered by matters of the heart and the flesh.”

Callum didn’t know what to say. He felt like he was getting a birds and the bees talk from a timeless, magical being. 

“So, what I saw...” he paused to swallow hard. “Was that actually the future?” There was a hopefulness in his voice that he hadn’t meant to come through. 

However, Astraeus shook his head. “As I said, the stars can only see things that _may_ come to pass based on your current path.”

In spite of himself, Callum felt a quick tug of disappointment behind his naval.

“But not to fear. The stars do not show us what is not attainable. Now, Come here,” he said, reaching his arms out and beckoning Callum to step closer. 

He did so warily, keeping his guard up just in case, just as Rayla had taught him. He flinched when Astraeus raised a hand up to his face, letting two of his fingers rest on his forehead.

“Until we meet again, young human. _Somnium Finis.”_

Callum’s vision blacked out immediately, the stars finally, mercifully disappearing. The blackness only lasted a moment however, before his eyes shot back open and he was once again faced with the colorful ribbons of light twisting above the snowy landscape of the Shiverglades. Callum gasped as he took in the sight of it all - the moon still in its same position high in the sky, the cold of the snow slowly soaking through his jacket, the familiar constellations that weaved patterns above him.

But there was something different about the stars now. While before, Callum had only felt the comfortable pull of the moon, he could now also feel waves of otherworldly wisdom emanating from the stars. If he focused on them, it was even like he could hear them whispering to him.

He could feel it. He’d made the connection. 

Callum beamed, letting out a ‘whoop’ of celebration as he raised his arms in triumph before they flopped down into the snow. He’d finally done it. He finally had the last tool he needed to defeat Aaravos once and for all. 

“Callum, are you alright?” A sleepy voice called out from the bottom of the little hill. Callum’s heart lept. 

The vision of Rayla and the slight bulge in her stomach flashed before his eyes and Callum silently noted that he would have to draw it later. But in the meantime, she was here and she was waiting for him.

His smile doubled in size as he rolled over and scrambled to his feet, stumbling slightly as his boots momentarily became tangled together.

“Rayla!” He yelled gleefully as he ran down the hill. He caught sight of her swiftly peeking her head out from between the flaps of their tent while stubbornly rubbing at the sleep in her eyes. 

“Callum, what’s going o-ahh!” Callum interrupted her by scrambling into the tent, wrapping his arms around her and tackling her backward. 

Then he was kissing her, long and deep with one hand buried in her hair and the other finding a strip of skin where her night shirt had ridden up. He smiled into the kiss, giddy at finally having her back in his arms. 

Rayla squirmed for a moment as she adjusted to his sudden weight on top of her, questions waiting for him on her lips. But she seemed to decide they could wait, as her lips instead found purchase against his own. Her hands weaved their way under his jacket, pulling the sodden garment from his shoulders and letting it fall to the side. 

“Not that I’m not enjoying this,” she said as her mouth shifted to his neck, the drowsiness in her voice now replaced with something huskier. “But what’s the occasion?”

Callum pulled away, taking in the sight of her panting slightly beneath him, her lips swollen and her hair splayed and slightly tangled from sleep.

Gods, he was a lucky man. 

“I did it, Rayla,” he said excitedly. “I understand the stars.”

Rayla’s eyes lit up, reflecting his elation before she pulled him back down, crashing their lips together once more. 

“I am so proud of you,” she whispered into his ear, making him shiver. 

“I couldn’t have done it without you,” he replied. “Any of it.”

Rayla smirked and kissed his nose. “I’m sure you’d have figured things out eventually...Though maybe not before turning into a popsicle, you are _freezing!_ ” She said, pulling away from him slightly.

“Oh yeah?” He said, a look of mischief creeping across his face as he leaned back to pull off his boots and socks before pressing his chilled feet to her legs. 

She let out a little shriek before swatting his arms, though the smile refused to disappear from her face. 

“So what happened? How did you finally do it?” She asked as she began fussing over him, pulling at his cold, half-frozen clothes and shoving his night clothes in his hands.

Callum contemplated the question as he pulled off his shirt. He knew he’d been trying to focus on how the stars saw the world, imagining seeing their adventures from afar. But when that hadn’t worked, he’d gotten distracted thinking of Rayla and their future. That had been when the terrible ringing started. 

“Remember what you used to write all the time when you’d steal my sketchbook?” 

Rayla pursed her lips as she thought, not even flinching as she caught the damp shirt he threw her. 

“Are you talking about the dirty thing, the hilarious thing or the sappy thing?” She asked.

Callum snorted. “The sappy thing.”

“Love is magic, huh?” She asked with a coy smile as she motioned for him to hand her his snow-soaked trousers. He obliged and she quickly ducked out of the tent to lay everything out by the fire. She returned to sit by his side and kiss him on the cheek.

Callum’s heart soared as he reached out and caressed the single cuff she currently wore, his eyes flicking down without his permission to land on her flat stomach. “Yeah, it really is,” he breathed. 

Rayla quirked an eyebrow at him. “What?” She asked, glancing down at herself curiously. 

“N-nothing,” Callum replied quickly. “Just something the stars showed me.”

“They showed you things?” Rayla asked with amazement. “What did you see?”

So he told her. He told her about wandering through the stars until he found her. He told her about his older self’s chiseled good looks and Astraeus’ odd question about his birth father. He told her about waking up with an understanding of perspective and mystery like he’d never had before. 

He did, however, choose to leave out the little detail of the condition she’d been in during his vision. If it truly was the path they were meant to walk, then they would get there. But in the meantime, he didn’t want to pressure her.

By the end of the story, they’d wrapped themselves together beneath their blankets, Rayla’s head on his chest as he stroked her hair. 

“So what happens next?” Rayla asked, turning to look him in the eye. “What’s our next move?”

Their next move, Callum thought, would be to take Aaravos down. His eyes drifted over to his pack where he knew the key was stored. He reached out and grabbed the strap, dragging the bag toward them. He reached in and grabbed the cube, slowly pulling it out. For the first time he’d ever seen, each and every rune was illuminated, shining brightly in his hands. The soft pull that had steadily been building in the artifact with each of his new connections had now become a full force. The key was leading him somewhere, and they were going to find out where. 

“Now, we end this war once and for all.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you all so much for taking the time to read. I hope you and your loved ones are healthy and doing well. This is a hell of a time in history we're in the middle of right now, but we're going to get through it. 
> 
> Wishing you all the best and I'll see you in the next one,
> 
> \- Lobster


End file.
